Hyundai in 2003, NC in 2020 are the only teams to win KS after falling behind 1-2
Three straight games ahead; So Hyung-jun, Hurrado in focus
Game 3 of the Korean Series is a watershed moment when the series is tied 1-1. Historically, the team that wins Game 3 goes on to claim the championship 88.9 percent of the time. Only two teams have ever cleared that barrier — the 2003 Hyundai Unicorns and the 2020 NC Dinos.
The KT Wiz and Samsung Lions meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Daegu Samsung Lions Park for Game 3 of the 2026 KBO Korean Series. KT won Game 1 by 8-7, but Samsung struck back in Game 2, edging out a 3-2 victory in 12 innings of extra play to level the series at one win apiece.
In Korean Series history, there have been 18 instances where the first two games were split 1-1 with no ties and a decisive winner emerged in Game 3. In 16 of those 18 cases — 88.9 percent — the Game 3 winner went on to win the championship.
The exceptions number just two. In 2003, Hyundai dropped Game 3 to the SK Wyverns and fell to 1-2, but won Games 4 and 5 in succession to flip the series. A loss in Game 6 brought the teams level again, yet Hyundai took the decisive Game 7 to win the title four games to three.
Jeong Min-tae was at the heart of that comeback. He laid the groundwork for victory in Game 4 with six innings and three runs allowed, then delivered a complete-game shutout in Game 7, holding SK to two hits and no runs. The offense backed him up with nine runs in Game 4 and seven in Game 7.
In 2020, NC dropped Games 2 and 3 to the Doosan Bears but then reeled off three straight wins to claim the franchise's first integrated championship. The pitching staff led the charge. In Game 4, Song Myung-ki threw five scoreless innings, and Drew Rucinski came on in relief to blank the Bears over 2⅔ innings as NC won 3-0. In Game 5, Gu Chang-mo went seven scoreless innings to power a 5-0 victory. NC held Doosan scoreless in two consecutive games, and in Game 6 Rucinski again led the way with five shutout innings in a 4-2 win.
Both historic comeback teams launched their counterattack in Game 4, immediately after losing Game 3. The 2003 Hyundai team turned the series around through Jeong's dominant pitching and a focused offense; the 2020 NC team did it through the effective use of starters and relievers.
Pitching management is an equally pressing challenge for KT and Samsung this year. KT led Game 1 by 8-0 before surrendering seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to escape with a narrow win. Game 2 stretched into a grueling 12-inning battle. With Games 3, 4 and 5 now scheduled on three consecutive days, both teams must manage their pitching staffs with an eye not just on Friday's game but on what comes after.
KT will start So Hyung-jun, while Samsung counters with Ariel Hurrado. So has gone 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA across eight career postseason appearances. Hurrado won twice in this year's playoff round and was named its most valuable player.
How deep each starter goes will shape not only Friday's outcome but also how both bullpens are positioned heading into Game 4 and beyond.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
